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4/29/09

4/21/09

Carusella is from Israel and they fit somewhat outside of the music that we usually post here. They bridge the gap between garage-indie and noise rock, but bring something heavier that defies that troublesome "indie" tag. The record starts off establishing the band's pummeling presence, before Tamar Aphek (vox, gits) chimes in, bringing a lighter feel to the atmosphere. Her voice wavers a bit at parts, noticeably untrained, but in a charming way. Aphek's vocal tracks are the more melodic and catchier of the few peppered throughout the record, which was most likely a deciding factor in their decision to front "Star Quality" at the head of their promotional push. Guy Schechter's (vox, skins) vocal tracks are typically the heavier tracks on the album, with more off-kilter moments that slip into something akin to Unsane or Helmet. Carusella is, without a doubt, another band you should keep an eye on in the next few upcoming years.

Another year has come which means another DNA Test Fest, organized by Sean Gray from WMUC's 'DNA in the DNA', the longest running and most belligerent, vile, and offensive punk show on college radio on the East Coast.

It's $15 dollars for two days of obscene noise-violence at the Velvet Lounge (down the street from DC Metro's U-Street Stop on the Green Line)

4/16/09

This is Salome (Sal-Om-May not Sal-Low-Me or Salami) from Northern Virginia. I had the pleasure of seeing these three at the Nowarehouse along with Oak and two other bands that I've completely forgotten about. There was some black or death metal band that seemed to be making a big deal about themselves because they were about to go to tour in Europe but who cares whatever.

Salome is heavy. Really heavy. A kind of crushing misanthropy that could have only come from a real shithole like Northern Virginia. The vocals are something akin to NOOTHGRUSH, something you wouldn't really expect from meeting their vocalist in person (she's apparently also the new vocalist for Agoraphobic Nosebleed). The guitar work is patient and sloth-like, occasionally breaking into Stoner Rock trips before bringing back the heavy. Most of the album keeps a crawling sort of pace with some bludgeoning riffs here and there (most of Black Tides).

4/14/09

Subrig is a drum-and-bass power-duo hailing from the great Athens, GA (home of a few other notable sludge bands). Included here is their only release thus far--their 5-track, 40 minute opus 'Rode Asunder'. This is some really minimalist low-frequency stuff, similar to that of 'Om', but more aggressive. I look forward to seeing what these two pump out in the future:

4/13/09

You guys remember Kowloon Walled City? Well, they're back (sort of), with their side project entitled 'Snailface'. This record's a complete offshoot from Kowloon's previous work (and it should be noted that this IS NOT a Kowloon Walled City release), and is being offered on their site for free download, but I figured I might upp it here as well.

'Snailface' is the Rock-LP the Melvins always wanted to record. A liberal-cramming of Cock-Rock (Transvaginal Organ Harvest), Alternative (Botanomancer) and shameless 70s nostalgia (Drug School), into a Stoner tromp worthy of Orange Goblin and the like results in a record that rings echoes of the Zebraman. I say it's a shame this isn't a legit band:

4/1/09

Bedemon is a concept band constructed by ex-Pentagram guitarist Randy Palmer back in the early 1970s. The band's namesake is twisted together from the combination of 'Behemoth' and 'Demon' (and the aid of a hard-of-hearing Bobby Liebling), reflecting the sinister attitude and heavy-riffing dished out in the group's early recordings. The project disintegrated with Palmer's induction into Pentagram, with a couple Bedemon songs, one of which being 'Starlady'--later released on 'First Daze Here', even making it into the folds of Pentagram's discos. There were plans to re-record the 70s material and release a full LP, but in an unfortunate turn of events, Randy Palmer died in a car accident in 2002, right as his plans for new recording sessions were starting to come together. Included is a full release of demos from their 1970s sessions--keep in mind these are in pretty Low Fidelity, but it's still a solid listen.